Circuit-controller.



W. K HOWE." I

ClRCUIT CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED'JULY 3. 91s.

H/SGA 5/0 66 l5 8 [/8 F? E 52 I/I g9 INVENTOI? 57 BY M 14 TTOR/VEYEUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wmrrifaor K. HOWE, or noonns'rn'n, NEW YORK, Assien'on TO GENERALRAILWAY sIGNAL' COMPANY, or GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or new YORK.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 3', 1916. Serial No. 107,356.

7 To all whom it may concern:

controller, especially adapted for use with automatic trips, which willopen and close the governing circuits of the motor and of the retainingmechanism associated with said trip at the proper times and in propersequence. 4

A further object of the invention is to devise a circuit controllerhaving the characteristics above mentioned, and which may also .be usedto properly control the signal associated with the trip.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of theinvention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to theaccompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred physicalembodiment of my invention, wherein like characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a circuit controller embodying theinvention shown applied to a trip, parts of the circuit controller andthe mechanism associated with said trip being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2- -2 inFig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow (1.;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on-the line 33 in Fig.1and look,- ing in the direction of the arrow b; and Fig. .4: is adiagrammatic view of an arrangement of wiring which may be used with thecircuit controller shown in Figs.

1, 2 and 3.

In the accompanying drawing one form of a circuit controller embodyingthis inand vention has been illustrated as applied to the well knownautomatic trip; and the numeral 1 designates the shaft to which the triparm is attached. According to the arrangement and constructionordinarily employed and which is contemplated in the illustratedapplication of the circuit controller embodying the invention, the shaft1 is biased by a weight, or other suitable means to rotate in onedirection so as to bring the trip arm attached thereto into'position toengage the valve arm carried on a train; and suitable power mechanism,herein assumed to be an electric motor and its associated gearing, isemployed to turn the shaft 1 against the opposition of its bias into theposition where the trip arm will not engage the valve. arm of a passingtrain, suitable mechanism being provided for retaining the shaft 1 inthis latter position. For simplicity the electric motor, its operatinggearing, and the mechanism for retaining the shaft 1 in its clearposition, have not been illustrated, it being understood that thismechanism may be of any well known or suitable construction.

The circuit controller comprises two end brackets, 2, which are fastenedto supports 3 in any suitable way as by tap bolts 4, it being understoodthat the supports 3 form a part of, or are secured tothe frame or caseof the mechanism for operating the automatic trip. Secured tothe endbrackets 2 are parallel contact supporting bars 5 and 6 of any suitableinsulating material, and secured to these bars 5 and- 6 are a number ofcontact fingers of suitable: construction arranged inopposed pairs. Inthe form of the inventionillustrated, the circuit controller comprisesthree parts or units designated A, B and C, and each of these unitsincludes two pairs of contact springs, the contact springs associatedwith the unity A. being designated 7- -7 and 8+8, and the similarcontact springs associated with the unit being designated 9+9 and 10l0.The construction of the unit 0 is the same as the construction of theunit A, and is illustrated as showing the manner in which the unit A maybe duplicated if desired to perform similar functions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the unit A im cludes a circuit controlling,lover or member 12, journaled on a shaft 11 extending between andsecured to the end brackets "2.

This circuit controlling member 12 comprises a stem 13 to which isattached in any suitable manner the block 14 of insulating material; andto the block 14 in turn is fas toned a metallic contact strip 15. Thecircuit controlling member 12 also comprises a rib 16 in which a hole 17is formed near each end and on opposite sides of the shaft 11. The lowerend of the rib is shaped to form a downwardly projecting lug 18, andintegral with the hub of the circuit controlling member 12 is a matinglug 19, the lugs 18 and 19 constituting in effect a clownwardly openingjaw. Extending between the end brackets 2 is a rod 20, which is held inplace by short pins 21 fixed therein; and a tension coil spring 22 hasone end "hooked around the rod 20 and its other end booked in the upperhole 17 intherib 16 of the'circuit controlling member 12.

The units A, B and C of' the circuit con trollerare operated by theshaft lby means of a rockarm'23, which is split and clamped on the shaft1 by a tap bolt 24. The rock arm 23 is bifurcated, and the separatebifurcations 25 of this rockarm 23 terminate in bosses or inenlargements 26. Extending through the bosses 26 is an operating rod '27which is held in place by pins 28, said operating rod 27 being"disposedbetween the lugs 18 and 19 of the circuit controlling member 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the unit 13 of the circuit controller issimilar in construction 'in'many respects tothat'of the unit A, andcomprises a circuit controlling member or lever 12 journaled on theshaft '11 but in the unit B, the stem 29 of the circuit contro1- lingmember 12 has a notch or groove 30 therein in which fits the stemportion of a contact carrier block 31, said stem portion being narrowerthan the notch 30 and being mounted on a pin 32 fixed in the stem 29 soas to permit a limited amount of rocking movement of said contactcarrier block 31 relative to said stem 29. The contact carrier block 31is substantially T-shape, the head portion thereof being arranged tocontact with the stem 29 of the circuit controlling member 12 andsecured to said contact carrier block is a piece 33 of suitableinsulated materialto which is secured a contact strip 34.- The'contactmember 12 has a rib in which are holes 36; and the lower end of the rib35 forms a downwardly projecting lug 38, which is disposed opposite to amating lug 39 integral with the hub of the member'12 A tensionspring 37is hooked overthe rod 20' at one end and at the other end is hooked intothe upper hole 36 of the rib 35 of said circuit controlling member. Theoperating rod '27 is disposed betwee-n'the lugs'38 and '39 of-thecircuit controlling member 12 in the same way as said operatingrod-isdisposed betWeen't-he lugs 18 and 19 of the circuit controlling member12.

Referring to Fig. 4 there is show-ndiagrammatically an arrangement ofcontrolling circuits suitable for use with a circuit controllerembodying the invention. The motor for operating the trip shaft 1 isdesignated M; and the retaining mechanism, commonly called a hold cleardevice, which serves to hold the trip shaft 1 in its clear position isdesignated HG. The automatic trip may be controlled in any suitable way;but in the diagrammatic illustration in Fig. 4, said automatic trip'iscontrolled by-a track relayT having-an armature 40. The signalassociated with the automatic trip stop may be of any suitableconstruction; but is shown in Fig; 4 as comprising a red lamp Rand agreen lamp G.

The operation of the circuit controller illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3may bereadily understood in connection with the following description ofthe operation ofthe'automatic trip from one end of its positionstoanother position. In Fig. '4 the parts of the circuit controller and theparts of the automatic trip shown are illustrated in the positioncorresponding to the position in which the ;trip arm is held down clearofthe valvearm of a passing train. lVhen the trip arm is in its clearposition the hold clear device HCEis energized by acircui-twhichmay-betraced as follows:

Commencing 1 at the battery 41, conductor 42, armature 40-ofthetrackrelay T in its upper position, conductor-s 43 and 44, the hold.clear device HQconductor :45, contact spring'lO, contact strip 34,contact springlO, and conductors '46a11d 47 back to the battery 41.

The green lamp G, indicating-proceed'{is lighted bya circuitwhich-may betraced as follows:

Commencing at the battery 48, conductors 49 and 5O, lamp G, conductor51, contact spring 8, cont-act strip 15, contact spring 8 and conductors52- and 53, backzto the battery 48. y V

WVhen a train enters the block which'is guarded by the automatic trip, sthe track relay T is' dc'energizecL-as will be clearly understood bythose skilled in the art, and the armature 40 of saidtraclcrelay T dropsand interrupts the circuit hereinbefore traced which energizes the-holdclear device HG, thereby permitting theishaft l-to turn under theinfluence 1 of its bias to itheuposition in which then-1 111secured'thercto will engage the valve arm'on atrain attemptingito passsaid automatic trip. DuringSthismovement of the shaft-1 to its'biasedposition, the-circuit controlling members -1-2:.and z1 2 are pulled bythe springs 22 and 37, respectively, into the I position opposite 3110that; shown J in Figs. 2 and-3. The contact istrip"15.-'of:the

circuit controlling member 12 now breaks contact with the contact spring8 thereby interrupting the circuit for the green lamp G, and makescontact with the contact spring 7, thereby closing a circuit for the redlamp R, which may be traced as follows:

Commencing at the battery 48, conductors 49 and 57, lamp R, conductor58, contact spring 7 contact strip 15, contact spring 7, and conductors59 and 53, back to the batter 48.

When the shaft 1 moves to its biased position, the contact strip 34 ismoved from contact with the contact springs 10 and into contact with thecontact springs 9 so that, after a train has left the block guarded bythe automatic trip and the track relay T is ener gized, the motor M isenergized by a circuit which may be traced as follows:

Commencing at the battery 41,-conductor 42, armature 40 of the trackrelay T in its upper position, conductors 43 and 54, motor M, conductor55, contact spring 9, contact strip 34, contact spring 9, and conductors56 and 47, back to the battery 41.

When the motor M is energized it drives the shaft 1 in the directionindicated by the arrow X, Figs. 2 and 3, to move the trip arm to itsclear position. During the first part of this movement of the shaft 1,the circuit controlling members 12 and 12 remain stationary, since theyare held in the position they then have by the springs 22 and 37, andsince the operating rod 27, which is in contact with the lugs 19 and 39,respectively, at the beginning of this movement of said shaft 1 to theclear position, may move a limited distance before it strikes the lug 18and 38, respectively. After this first part of the movement of the shaft1 to its clear position, the circuit controlling members 12 and 12 aremoved with the shaft, and during the final movement of said shaft 1 toits clear position, circuit controlling member 12 is moved to theposition shown in Fig. 2, thereby extinguishing the red lamp R andlighting thegreen lamp G. At the same time the circuit controllingmember 12 is moved to substantially the position shown in Fig. 3, inwhich the circuit for energizing the motor M hereinbefore traced, isbroken,

' and in which the circuit for energizing the hold clear device HC iscompleted. After the operating circuit of the motor M is broken, therewill ordinarily be a slight continued movementof the shaft 1, due to themomentum of the parts; but, on the other hand, before the hold cleardevice HG becomes efi'ective, it may happen that the shaft 1 will settleback under the influence of its bias, nearly if not entirely as much assaid shaft continued to move after the operating circuit for the motor Mwas interrupted. It is obvious that unless some special means isprovided, the circuit controlling member 12 will move, as the shaft 1settles back, to a position to restablish the motor operating to.According to this invention, however,.

when the shaft 1 settles back and as a con sequence the circuitcontrolling member 12 also moves to the left,-as viewed in Fig.3, thefriction between the contact spring 10 and the contact strip 34 retardsor holds back the contact carrier block 31; and since this contactcarrier block 31 is loosely connected to the circuit controlling member12 considerable movement of said member 12 to the left, as viewed inFig. 3,-may take place without causing said block 31 to movecorrespondingly to the left. In this way the shaft 1, after it has beenoperated by a motor M to its full clear position, may settle backwithout operating the contact carrierand the contact carrier block 31forms an important feature of this invention. I

It should also be noted that the circuit controlling member 12, which inthe particular application of the invention illustrated controls thesignal lamps R and G, changes from the position shown in Fig. 2 to theopposite position after only a slight movement of the shaft 1; or inother words, the green lamp G is'extinguished and thered lamp R islighted after a slight movement of the shaft 1 toward its'biasedposition. This slight movement may be selected such that at or beforethe trip arm on the shaft 1 is in position to automatically stop apassing train, the red lamp R, indicating stop or danger will belighted. On the other hand, when the shaft 1 is in itsbiased positionand is being operated by the motor M to'its clear or operated position,the circuit controlling member 12 lags behind the movement of said shaft1, so that the shaft 1' must assume its full clear position before thered lampR isl'extinguished'. In a similar Although I have particularlydescribed the construction of one physical .emb odiment of my invention,andexplained the operation and principle thereof; neventheless, I

desire to have it understood .that the form selected is merelillustrative, and does not exhaust the possible physical embodimentsof Vthe idea of means underlying my invention. What I claim as new anddesire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is: 1. In acircuit controller for railway signaling appliances, in combination: .amovable circuit controlling member pivotally supported between its endand having spaced lugs atoneend; an insulated contact piece carried bythe same member at its other end; fixed Contactfingers arrangedntocooperate with thecontact piece in thedifferent positions of saidmember; a spring connected to said member and tending to move in one;direction; an oscillatable shaft disposed paralleltothe axis of novementpf said member; a rocker arm fixed toithe shaft; anda rodcarriedby the outerend of the rocker arm and adapted to {fit loosely betweenthe lugs of said member, whereby themovement of said member fromonecircuit controlling position to the other is caused atone extremeoftherange ofmovement of thesha-ft.

2. In a circuitcontroller, in combination in itsoperated position;controlling circuits for said electrically operable means and for saidretaining mechanism; and icircuit controlling means governed' by saidshaftlfor selectively controlling said circuits, said means; comprisingtwo parts looselyiconnecb ed, and one ofsaidvparts being operatiyelyconnectedto saidshaft. i

4:. In .a circuit,controller,=in combination: an oscillatable shaft; acircuit controlling member comprising two parts loosely connected; aspring connected to said member and tending to turnfit in one direction;a rocker arm carried bylsaid shaft; flntldllBfinS associated with saidrocker arm and said member for looselyconneCting saiol men'iber and saidshaft and for providing lost motion between the same when said shaft ismoved.

In an electrically operable device, in combination; an oscillatableshaft biased to turn in one direction; electrically operable means forturning said shaft inthe opposite direction; retaining mechanism forholding said, shaft in an operated position; controlling circuits forsaid electrically operable means and for said retaining mechanism; acircuit controlling member for controlling said circuits and biased toone circuit controlling position; and means including'a lost motlonconnect on for operatively connectin g said shaft and said member,whereby said member is moved from one circuit.

controlling position to another near one e. treine of the oscillation ofsaid shaft.

6. In an electrically operable device, in. combination: a shaft biasedto turn in one direction; a motor for turning said shaft in the oppositedir ction; a hold clear device for retaining said shaftinano-perated,position; controlling circuits for said motor and saiddevice; and means including a lost motion connection for interruptingthe control ling circuit for the motor and for establish ing thecontrolling circuit for the hold cl ear device as said shaftattains itsoperated position, said means automatically retaining this samecontrolling condition during a slight return movement of the shaft,toward itsbiased position.

7. In an electrically operable. device in combination: a shaft biased toturn in one direction; electrically operable means for turning saidshaft in the oppositedirection; retaining mechanism for holding saidshaft in its operated position; controlling circuit for saidelectrically operable means and for saidretaining mechanism, circuitcontrolling means for governing said circuits; airocker arm carried ;bysaid shaft; and means associated withsaidrocker arm and saidcircuit'controlling means for operatively connecting said shaft and saidmeans and for providing lost motion between tllegsaine when said shaftis moved;

WINTHROP K. nevi E;

Copies cf this patent may be obtainedrqr five cents each, byaddressingthe commissioner of Ifatents 1 Washington, D. c."

